    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [October 26, 2004]
    [Pages 2748-2755]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Dubuque, Iowa
    October 26, 2004

        The President. Thank you all for coming. Listen, Laura and I are glad to be back in Dubuque and so honored so
    many came out to say hello. You lift our spirits. Really appreciate you
    coming. We're here, of course, asking for the vote and asking for your
    help. We need you to get your friends and neighbors to go to the polls,
    find our fellow Republicans, find independents, find discerning
    Democrats and remind them if they want a safer America, a stronger
    America, and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
        When I asked Laura to marry me, she said,
    ``Fine, so long as you make me a promise.'' I said, ``What is it?'' She
    said, ``Promise me I'll never have to give a political speech.''
    [Laughter] I said, ``Okay, you've got a deal.'' Fortunately, she is not
    holding me to that promise. She's giving a lot of speeches, and when she
    does, the American people see a compassionate, strong, great First Lady.
        And I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He's doing a wonderful job. You know, I admit it, he
    does not have the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] You'll be happy
    to hear I didn't pick him because of his hairdo; I picked him because of
    his experience, his judgment, his ability to get the job done.
        I'm proud to be on the stage with Congressman Jim Nussle, and I want to thank his wife, Karen, for being here. He's the chairman of the Budget
    Committee. He's watching your money like a hawk--eye. Nussle is a good
    man, good, solid citizen from the State of Iowa and I'm proud to call
    him friend.
        You know, we love your Senator, Chuck Grassley. I saw him the other day, and I said, ``Say, Chuck, you
    know, the South Lawn has got a lot of grass''--[laughter]--``and we're
    looking for somebody to give us a hand.'' [Laughter] He's done a
    wonderful job as the chairman of the Finance Committee. I know the
    people of Iowa are proud that he's the Senator; I know you're going to
    put him back into office for 6 more years.
        I want to thank Dale Schultz for coming.
    Dale is right there. He's from the Third Congressional District in the
    great State of Wisconsin. He's been traveling with me all

    [[Page 2749]]

    day. Just in case anybody from Wisconsin is watching on TV, put this
    good man in as a Congressman.
        I want to thank Dave Vaudt for being
    here. I want to thank Dave Roederer. I want
    to thank Doug Gross. I want to thank the Wil
    Gravatt Band for entertaining you all. I want to
    thank the grassroots activists who are here, the people putting up all
    the signs and making the phone calls and helping turn out people to
    rallies in the Dubuque area. With your help, there is no doubt in my
    mind we're going to carry Iowa and win a great victory in November.
        We have just one week to go. Voters have a clear choice between two
    very different candidates with dramatically different approaches and
    records. Now, you know where I stand. And sometimes--sometimes you even
    know where my opponent stands. [Laughter] We
    both have records. I'm proudly running on mine. The Senator is running
    from his, and there's a reason why. There's a mainstream in American
    politics, and my opponent sits on the far left bank.
        I'm a compassionate conservative and proudly so. I have a positive,
    optimistic vision for our future and a comprehensive strategy for
    victory in Iraq and the wider war against terror. My opponent has no plan, no vision, just a long list of
    complaints. [Laughter] But a Monday morning quarterback has never led
    any team to victory.
        This election comes down to five clear choices for America's
    families: your family's security; your family's budget; your quality of
    life; your retirement; and the bedrock values that are so critical to
    our families and to our future.
        The first clear choice is the most important because it concerns the
    security of your family. All progress on every other issue depends on
    the safety of our citizens. This will be the first Presidential election
    since September the 11th, 2001. Americans will go the polls in a time of
    war and ongoing threats. The terrorists who killed thousands are still
    dangerous and determined to strike us again. And this outcome--the
    outcome of this election will set the direction of the war against the
    terrorists. The most solemn duty of the American President is to protect
    the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this
    decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my
    watch.
        Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we fought
    the terrorists across the Earth, not for pride, not for power but
    because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear.
    We've strengthened the protections for the homeland. We're reforming our
    intelligence capabilities. We're transforming our military. There will
    be no draft; the All-Volunteer Army will remain an all-volunteer army.
    We're staying on the offensive. We are relentless. We are determined. We
    will strike the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at
    home. We will continue to spread freedom and liberty. And we will
    prevail.
        The President has to lead with consistency and strength. In a war,
    sometimes your tactics change but not your principles. Americans have
    seen how I do my job. Even when you might not agree with me, you know
    what I believe, you know where I stand, and you know what I intend to
    do.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. On good days and on bad days, whether the polls are
    up or the polls are down, I am determined to protect the American people
    and I will always support the men and women who do.
        My opponent has taken a different
    approach. It's fair to say that consistency has not been his strong
    point. Senator Kerry says we're better off with Saddam Hussein out of power, except when he declares that removing
    Saddam made us less safe. He said in our second debate that he always
    believed Saddam was a threat, except a few

    [[Page 2750]]

    questions later when he said Saddam Hussein was not a threat. [Laughter]
    He says he was right when he voted to authorize the use of force against
    Saddam Hussein, but that I was wrong to use force against Saddam
    Hussein. [Laughter] Now my opponent is throwing out a wild claim that he
    knows where bin Laden was in the fall of
    2001, that our military passed up a chance to get him at Tora Bora. It's
    an unjustified criticism of the military commanders in the field. It is
    the worst kind of Monday morning quarterbacking.
        Tommy Franks was our commander in
    Afghanistan, and here's what he said about Tora Bora. He said, ``The
    Senator's understanding of events does not
    square with reality.'' Tommy was there. Tommy says that Special Forces
    were actively involved in the search for the terrorists in Tora Bora and
    that intelligence reports at the time placed bin Laden in any of several countries.
        Now, before Senator Kerry got into
    political difficulty and revised his views, here's what he said about
    Tora Bora on national TV in the fall of 2001. He said, ``I think we've
    been doing this pretty effectively, and we should continue to do it that
    way.'' At the time, the Senator said about Tora Bora, ``I think we've
    been smart. I think the administration leadership has done it well, and
    we are on the right track.'' Well, all I can say to that is, I am George
    W. Bush, and I approve of that message.
        Yet, my opponent's record on national
    security has a far deeper problem than election-year flip-flopping. On
    the largest national security issues of our time, he has been
    consistently wrong. When Ronald Reagan was confronting the Soviet Union
    at the height of the cold war, Senator Kerry said that President
    Reagan's policy of peace through strength was making America less safe.
    Well, history has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and President
    Ronald Reagan was right.
        When former President Bush led a
    coalition against Saddam Hussein in 1991,
    Senator Kerry voted against the use of force
    to liberate Kuwait. If his view had prevailed, Saddam Hussein today
    would dominate the Middle East and possess the world's most dangerous
    weapons. History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and former
    President Bush was right.
        In 1994, just one year after the first bombing of the World Trade
    Center, Senator Kerry proposed massive cuts in
    America's intelligence budget, so massive that even his colleague from
    Massachusetts opposed them. Well, history has shown that Senator Kerry
    was wrong and--got to be fair--Senator Kennedy was right.
        Just last year, American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan needed $87
    billion to help them on their missions, to make sure they had all that
    was necessary in harm's way. First, Senator Kerry said it would be irresponsible to vote against the troops,
    then he voted against the troops. You might remember perhaps the most
    famous quote of the 2004 campaign when he said, ``I actually did vote
    for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] History has
    shown that Senator Kerry was right, then wrong, then briefly right, then
    wrong again. [Laughter]
        You know, he's given quite a few answers
    about that vote, and finally, at one time he just said, ``The whole
    thing was a complicated matter.'' My fellow Americans, there is nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat. I thank our troops. I
    thank the families of our troops. And I thank the veterans who have set
    such a great example to our troops.
        During the last 20 years, in key moments of challenge and decision
    for America, my opponent has chosen the
    position of weakness and inaction. With that record, he stands in
    opposition not just to me but to the great tradition of the Democratic
    Party. The party of Franklin Roosevelt, of Harry Truman, of John Kennedy
    is rightly remembered for confidence and resolve in times of war and
    hours of crisis. Senator Kerry has turned his back on ``pay any

    [[Page 2751]]

    price'' and ``bear any burden,'' and he has placed those commitments--
    replaced those commitments with ``wait and see'' and ``cut and run.''
    Many Democrats in this country do not recognize their party anymore.
    Today I want to speak to every one of them: If you believe that America
    should lead with strength and purpose and confidence in our ideals, I'd
    be honored to have your support, and I'm asking for your vote.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. All the difference--all the differences I've outlined
    today add up to one big difference. My opponent says that September the 11th, in his words, did not change
    him much at all. And his policies make that clear. He says the war on
    terror is primarily a law enforcement and intelligence gathering
    operation.
        My outlook was changed on September the 11th. A few days after the
    attacks, I stood where the buildings fell, in Ground Zero. It's a day
    I'll never forget--the workers in hardhats yelling at me at the top of
    their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember a guy grabbed me by the
    arm, he looked me square in the eye, and he said, ``Do not let me
    down.'' After that morning, I wake--I've wakened up every morning
    thinking about how to better protect America. I will use every asset at
    our disposal. I will never relent in defending the security of the
    American people, whatever it takes.
        The second clear choice concerns your family's budget. When I ran
    for President 4 years ago, I pledged to lower taxes for American
    families. And I kept my word. We doubled the child credit to help
    mothers and dads raise their children. We reduced the marriage penalty.
    Listen, I think the Tax Code ought to encourage marriage, not penalize
    marriage. We created the lowest bracket of 10 percent, so to help
    families. We're reduced income taxes for everybody who pays taxes.
        Now, I want you to remind your friends and neighbors what we have
    overcome, the obstacles this economy has overcome. You know, the stock
    market had been in decline for 6 months prior to my arrival. We were
    headed into a recession. And these corporate scandals which affected the
    economy--we passed tough laws, by the way, and we made it abundantly
    clear we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of
    America. And then we got attacked, and those attacks cost us about a
    million jobs in the 3 months after September the 11th. But because we
    cut your taxes, because we encouraged consumption and investment,
    because we recognized the contributions small-business owners make in
    this country, our economic policies have led us on the path to growth.
        Our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20
    years. We've added 1.9 million new jobs since August of 2003. The
    national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in
    perspective for you: That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s,
    the 1980s, and the 1990s. Our farm economy is strong. I campaigned here
    in the caucuses, and I campaigned in 2000, and I've been coming back to
    your State saying, ``I support ethanol.'' We're supporting ethanol. I
    said, ``I'm going to come back and open up markets so Iowa farm products
    are all around the world.'' We've opened up markets. Our farmers are
    making a good living. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong. Small
    businesses are flourishing. The homeownership rate is at an alltime
    high. And the unemployment rate in the State of Iowa is 4.7 percent. Our
    policies are working, and we're not going to go back to the days of
    Federal spending and Federal taxes.
        We have a different point of view on the budget. My opponent has different plans. He's going to take a big chunk
    out of your budget. Listen, he's promised $2.2 trillion in new spending
    in this campaign. That's trillion with a ``T.'' [Laughter] That's

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    a lot even for a Senator from Massachusetts. [Laughter]
        And they asked him how he's going to pay
    for it. And he threw out the same old tired line, ``We're going to tax
    the rich.'' Well, first of all, when you run up the top two brackets,
    you're taxing job creators. Do you realize most of the small businesses
    in America pay individual income taxes because they're either a
    Subchapter S or a sole proprietorship? Seventy percent of new jobs are
    created by small businesses. Senator Kerry's plan would tax the job
    creators of America, and that is bad economic policy.
        And secondly, by taxing people who have earned over $200,000 or
    entities that have earned over $200,000, you raise between 600 and 800
    billion dollars. It doesn't take much math to figure out that's far
    short of the 2.2 trillion he's promised. So
    there's a gap, a gap between what he's promised and how he's going to
    pay for it. And guess who usually fills the gap?
        Audience members. We do!
        The President. You do. The good news is, he's not going to tax you, because we're going to win Iowa and
    win a great victory.
        The third clear choice involves the quality of life for our Nation's
    families. A good education and quality health care are important for our
    country's families. When I ran for President 4 years ago, I promised to
    challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations by reforming our public
    schools. I kept my word. We passed education reform to bring high
    standards into the classrooms and to make our schools accountable to our
    parents. We're seeing progress. Math and reading scores are rising. We
    are closing achievement gaps for minority students all across America.
    We'll build on these reforms. We'll extend them to our high schools so
    that no child is left behind in America.
        We'll make sure health care is available and affordable. We'll
    expand health savings accounts so small--more small businesses can cover
    their workers and more families can get health care accounts they call
    their own and manage. In order to make sure our small businesses can
    afford health care, we ought to allow them to pool together, pool risk
    so they can afford insurance at the same discount that big companies
    get. We're going to make sure we take care of the poor and the indigent
    through community and rural health centers. We'll work hard to make sure
    every eligible child is enrolled in our Government's low-income health
    insurance program.
        To make sure health care is available and affordable for you, we
    will do something about the frivolous lawsuits that are running up the
    cost of medicine and running good doctors out of practice. I have met
    too many good doctors who have quit practicing medicine. Some of the
    saddest tales are those of ob-gyns. These lawsuits are running up the
    cost of premiums to the point where they can't afford to stay in
    business. So they leave their community. Some of them quit the practice
    of medicine. And that means there are expectant moms who are desperate--
    desperately worried about whether or not they'll get the health care
    they need for their child and for themselves.
        You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-personal-injury-
    lawyer at the same time. You have to make a choice. My opponent made his choice, and he put a personal-injury trial
    lawyer on the ticket. I have made my choice.
    I'm standing with the patients. I'm standing with doctors. I'm standing
    with small-business owners. I'm standing with hospitals. I'm for medical
    liability reform--now.
        There is a big difference of opinion when it comes to health care
    between me and my opponent. I remember that
    debate when he looked right in the camera, and they asked him about his
    health care plan, and he said, ``The Government doesn't have anything to
    do with it.'' I could barely contain myself. [Laughter]
        The Government has got a lot to do with it. Eight out of ten people
    end up on a

    [[Page 2753]]

    Government program under his health care.
    Listen, when you make Medicaid more attractive, small businesses will
    stop providing insurance for their employees because the Government
    will. And that moves people from private care--private insurance to
    Government insurance. And you know what I know: When the Government
    starts writing the checks, the Government starts making the rules; and
    the Government starts making the rules, the Government starts making
    your decisions. They ration care; they decide what doctors you go to.
    No, Federal health care is the wrong prescription for health care in
    America. In all we do, we'll make sure the health decisions are made by
    doctors and patients, not by officials in Washington, DC.
        The fourth clear choice in this election involves your retirement.
    We made a solemn commitment to America's seniors on Social Security and
    Medicare. When I ran for President 4 years ago, I promised to keep that
    commitment and improve Medicare by adding prescription drug coverage. I
    kept my word. You might remember the Medicare issue. People in
    Washington have been debating Medicare for years, and nothing got done.
    Well, thanks to working with Senator Grassley and Congressman Nussle, we got the
    job done for our seniors. Beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able to
    get prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
        I remember coming to eastern Iowa during the congressional campaigns
    in 2002. I said that I understand Iowa's hospitals are not being treated
    fairly under Medicare. Nussle, you might
    remember--I stood and looked right in the camera. I said, ``I'm going to
    work with Congressman Nussle and Senator Grassley to make sure Iowa's rural hospitals, in particular, are
    treated fairly.'' The bill I signed not only helps our seniors but it
    helps Iowa hospitals. I kept my word.
        And we will keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors. And
    I want to remind you what happened in the 2000 campaign. I don't know if
    it's happened here yet or not, but it certainly happened in 2000, when
    they made it abundantly clear to people that if I got elected, our
    seniors were not going to get their Social Security checks. That's the
    old scare tactics that they like to use. You might remember those ads.
    As you gather up the vote, I want you to remind people, George W. did
    get elected, and our seniors did get their checks. I don't care how they
    put it or how they try to scare you, our seniors will continue to get
    their checks. And baby boomers like me, I think we're in pretty good
    shape when it comes to getting the checks when we retire.
        But we need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when
    it comes to Social Security. We need to worry about whether or not there
    will be a Social Security system available for them when they retire.
    And that's why I think we ought to allow younger workers to take some of
    their own payroll taxes and set them in a personal savings account, an
    account that earns a better rate of return, an account that they can
    call their own.
        My opponent has taken a different approach
    on this issue. He said he is going to protect Social Security, but he
    forgot to tell you he's the only candidate in this race who voted eight
    times for higher taxes on Social Security benefits.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. You're wondering why you got those taxes on your
    Social Security benefits--there's one reason why, Senator John
    Kerry. And then when he talks about reforming
    the system for our youngsters, he had nothing to offer. The job of a
    President is to confront problems, not pass them on to future Presidents
    and future generations. In a new term, I'll bring people together to
    strengthen the Social Security system for a younger generation.
        And the final clear choice in this election is on the values that
    are so crucial to keeping our families strong. And here my opponent and
    I are miles apart. I stand for

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    the appointment of Federal judges who know the difference between
    personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. I believe
    marriage is a sacred commitment, a pillar of our civilization, and I
    will defend it. This isn't a partisan issue. You know, when Congress
    passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union of
    a man and a woman, the vast majority of Democrats supported it and
    President Bill Clinton signed it into
    law. But Senator Kerry was part of the out-of-
    the-mainstream minority that voted against the Defense of Marriage Act.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!

        The President. I believe reasonable people can find common ground on
    difficult issues. Republicans and Democrats came together and agreed we
    should ban the brutal practice of partial-birth abortion. I proudly
    signed that bill. But Senator Kerry was part
    of the out-of-the-mainstream minority that voted against the ban on
    partial-birth abortion. As a matter of fact, he voted against parental
    notification laws. He voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.
    I'll continue to reach out to Americans of every belief and move this
    goodhearted Nation toward a culture of life.

        I don't know if you remember this in the campaign, but at one point
    my opponent said you can find the heart and
    soul of America in Hollywood.

        Audience members. Boo-o-o!

        The President. Most families don't look to Hollywood for a source of
    values. The heart and soul of America is found in communities like
    Dubuque, Iowa.

        All of these choices make this one of the most important elections
    in our history. The security and prosperity of our country is at stake.
    The health and education for families are important. The retirement of
    our seniors, the direction of our culture--they're all at stake. And the
    decision is in the best of hands; it's in the hands of the American
    people.
        I've got a--I see a great America coming. I see a hopeful day. One
    of my favorite quotes--I hope it helps capture how I feel about
    America--is what a fellow Texan named Tom Lea
    wrote. He said, ``Sarah and I live on the east side of the mountain.
    It's the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the
    day that is coming, not to see the day that has gone.'' In the course of
    this campaign, my opponent has spent much of
    the time talking about the day that has gone. I'm talking about the day
    that is coming. I'm talking about a great day for America.
        We've been through a lot together in the last nearly 4 years.
    Because we've done the hard work of climbing the mountain, we can see
    the valley below. We'll protect our families. We'll build on their
    prosperity. We'll defend the deepest values. We'll continue to spread
    liberty and freedom, achieving the peace we all long for.
        You know, when I campaigned in your State--around your State in the
    caucuses and in the 2000 general election, I made you this pledge: I
    said if I was honored to be elected, I would uphold the honor and the
    dignity of the office. With your help, with your hard work, I will do so
    for 4 more years.
        Thanks for coming. God bless. We're on to victory. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:03 p.m. at the Grand River Center. In his
    remarks, he referred to Dale Schultz, candidate in Wisconsin's Third
    Congressional District; Auditor of State Dave Vaudt of Iowa; David
    Roederer, Iowa State chair, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida
    terrorist organization; and Gen. Tommy R. Franks, USA (Ret.), former
    combatant commander, U.S. Central Command.

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